BATTLE // January 24, 1856

Battle of Sabana Larga

Name: Battle of Sabana Larga
Start: 1856-01-24
End: 1856-01-24
Location: Battle of Sabana Larga

Significance

The Battle of Sabana Larga was a major engagement fought in the Dajabón region during the final phase of the War of Dominican Independence. A Dominican force of around 8,000 troops from the Army of the North defeated a Haitian force reported at 22,000 under Emperor Faustin I, inflicting approximately 1,000 Haitian casualties. A simultaneous Haitian force entrenched near Puerto Plata at Jácuba was also defeated by Dominican commanders Pedro Florentino and Lucas de Peña. The twin victories demonstrated the Dominican military's capacity to repel a numerically superior invasion force on two fronts, reinforcing the republic's hold on its northern territories during the post-independence conflict with Haiti.

Tactics

The overview notes that one Haitian force was entrenched at Jácuba near Puerto Plata and was defeated by Pedro Florentino and Lucas de Peña, while the main Dominican Army of the North engaged and defeated the larger Haitian force at Sabana Larga under Faustin I. Beyond these dispositions, the source does not describe the maneuvers or methods by which either engagement was decided.